Walnut Streusel Bread

A quick bread recipe laced with ribbons of streusel filling and crowned with a crunchy topping made of walnuts, oats, cinnamon and brown sugar. The buttery streusel offers a sweet balance to the rather plain but moist, dense bread.

Adapted from Cooking Light, I doubled the streusel. I like a lot of streusel. Sue me. If all you have going for you is streusel then you better deliver on your promise. I think it would of been too dry otherwise.

Similar to a coffee cake, this is the perfect bread to accompany your cup of coffee or tea at breakfast or for a snack.

A quick bread recipe laced with ribbons of streusel filling and crowned with a crunchy topping made of walnuts, oats, cinnamon and brown sugar.

INGREDIENTS:

Streusel:

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

dash of salt

4 tablespoons butter, melted

4 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

Bread:

butter, for greasing the pan

9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter, softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter a standard loaf pan.

To make the streusel whisk together the brown sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter until well combined. Stir in nuts. Set aside.

To make the bread: in a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a separate large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and sugar together on medium speed 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at time beating well after each one; beat in vanilla.

On low speed add the flour in 3 additions alternating with the buttermilk, beat just until combined.

Add just a little more than half the batter to the pan, spreading evenly over the bottom. Sprinkle 2/3 the streusel mixture evenly over the top. Cover with the remaining batter. Sprinkle the remaining streusel over top.

Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging. Cool pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Turn out and cool completely, top up on wire rack.